


Gifts

by OceanTheSoulRebel



Series: Adaar's Adoration - DAI Ficlets [2]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gifts, Heart's Day, Multi, Sweetness, the beginning of something new
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-22 12:06:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13763823
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OceanTheSoulRebel/pseuds/OceanTheSoulRebel
Summary: Cullen receives unexpected, and unorthodox, presents for Heart's Day, a springtime holiday celebrated across many nations of Thedas to honor love and romance.





	Gifts

**Author's Note:**

> This is an excerpt of an upcoming chapter from ["Shelter from the Storm"](http://archiveofourown.org/works/13380303) and will be compiled in that work at some point when the story catches up to this piece. I hope you enjoy it!

The brazier burned low as Cullen pored over the reports on the large war table, shifting his attention from the pages in hand to the map in turns. Condensed, conservative script blurred together on the page and his hand rose to pinch the bridge of his nose, a familiar irritation blooming over his temples. 

It had been a long day, with an uncharacteristically long jaunt down the mountain path as a surprise for the soldiers, and apparently now was the opportune time for the hurts of the day to assemble on his brow. He sighed, standing from his chair to unbuckle his cuirass, removing it and his heavy fur mantle.  _ Perhaps the Maker will show me a sign of what to do next, _ he mused, setting his armor neatly at his side.

A knock sounded at the door before opening it a crack, a familiar face - but whose name he was shamed he could not recall - sneaking past the entrance. “Commander Cullen, the Inquisitor requests your attendance to her apartment,” the young runner said, all hair and brow in the doorway. The boy had hardly heard his reply before shutting the door again. Cullen sighed and ran his gloved hand through his hair, huffing at the errant lock at his brow that threatened to curl over his face, and stood

It had been only two weeks since her return from the disastrous trip to the Emerald Graves, and she had not been permitted to leave her tower since her arrival back at Skyhold. Her closest council had been invited to her apartment in turns since she arrived, keeping her company in her recovery and apprised of the goings on of the organization in her absence. He had to admit he admired her, running the ever-growing Inquisition from the confines of her bedroom; he shuddered to think of himself in her shoes. She was a powerful figure, commanding and giving respect, a well-loved leader…

He cut himself off from following the path his thoughts turned to, remembering his emotional outburst to Josephine in this very room some weeks ago, and the actions that followed soon after. “Maker’s breath, I’m not some child of a man with his first look at a woman,” he chided himself, though his face still burned with a flush at the thought of Herah and Josephine. 

Of the possibilities of... 

His hand rose to rub his neck nervously. Cullen quickly retrieved his armor and his reports, securing each in hand as he strode from the war room, making his way through the halls of Skyhold Keep to Herah’s apartments. 

He had reached the inner door of the tower when he heard her laughter, a loud, lively sound like the crash of a rapid river against its bank. An unspoken question was answered before it was formed when he heard Josephine’s muffled voice reply, the words uncertain but her accent crisp and clear on the air. Distracted, Cullen reached forward to knock on the door only to miss the solid panel, instead batting at the air. With a slight frown he connected solidly with the door, rapping confidently at the unadorned wood. 

“Come in,” Herah called from the room beyond, and he walked in, tensed slightly with nerves. 

The room smelled of crisp mountain air, the smaller balcony opened to let the night sky in, and the fire smoldered merrily in the hearth. Herah sat at a circular table, as he’d seen her before, positively glowing in the soft firelight. She smiled as he crested the stairs. 

“Cullen, thank you for joining us,” she said, her voice warm with something he couldn’t quite place through the distracting view his eyes took in. Her tunic was unbuttoned down her chest to reveal the top of her bandages over the height of the table, a startling display, although necessary. Color flushed high on her sharp cheekbones and for a moment he worried until he saw the tray of food and bottle of wine sitting before her, and… three glasses. 

A confused smile twisted his lips and he met her welcome with a nod. “I’m glad to see you’re doing well, my lady,” he said with a slight bow.

She dismissed his words with a wave of her hand. “Enough with the ‘my lady’ business, at least in private?” she asked, meeting his eyes. She gave a small smirk. “I would hope that we are all closer friends than that.”

It was his turn to blush, which only brought a giggle from Josephine, who sat at Herah’s side, their fingers entwined on the table. A third chair waited, presumably for him, but it took a wave of Josephine’s hand to get him to sit. He carefully arranged his armor at his feet before he met their eyes, a slight flush blooming over his skin.

Their eyes looked over his face and they shared some secret glance between them, smiles turning their lips. With a contented sigh Josephine stood, her ruffled dress swishing as she moved. He watched her move across the room and rustle for something in the shadows beyond. 

“She’s really something, isn’t she?”

Herah’s quiet words caught his attention and he quickly shifted his attention, finding her green eyes on his face. Her oak-colored skin was bronzed in the firelight, taking on a metallic sheen that fascinated him, and he watched the light catch over the smoothness of her curled horns. “She is,” he replied with a cough, dropping his gaze. “Josephine is a most capable colleague and valuable asset to the organization. You choose your companions well.”

“I heard that,” Josephine remarked as she returned to the table, a long box in hand. She smiled at him, a wisp of hair escaping her chignon to curl along her temple, and for a moment he itched to tuck it behind her ear. 

He coughed again, clearing his throat. “My lady, ah, Herah,” he amended, drawing a lazy smile across Herah’s full lips, a vision that set his heart pounding, “how can I be of service?”

Josephine, to her credit, at least attempted to strangle her laughter behind her hand, clamping her fingers over her mouth somewhat indelicately. Herah had no such composure, instead laughing brightly into the dim room for a moment, eyes sparkling at some joke he missed. His brow furrowed slightly in his confusion. 

“Cullen, my friend." Herah sighed his name with a smile, a curve of her lips that stole his attention. “The Commander of our vast and formidable army, my steadfast companion from the beginning.” 

He began to flush in earnest at her words, his neck burning with heat. Her hand reached for his across the table and instinctively he took it, holding her fingers in his own before he realized what he was doing - but he didn’t let go at the contact. “Yes?”

Josephine answered him. “I know you two have talked about things that went on between us while Herah was away, but -”

“We wanted to have a chance to talk about this together, the three of us, if you are amenable to such a conversation,” Herah finished. Josephine smiled at the Qunari woman, patting her free arm lovingly. 

“I… I don’t know what to say,” he admitted. “Honestly, this is all a little…” 

“Bizzare?” Herah supplied quietly after he trailed off. Her hand squeezed slightly around his. 

He nodded, fighting the urge to rub his neck. “Bizzare,” he echoed, dropping his gaze to their interlocked fingers. 

“Do you have any questions for us?” Josephine asked. “We didn’t have much time to talk before I left, and I didn’t mean for things to sour between us over my trip to Orlais.” She scowled. “I didn’t even mean to  _ go _ on that blasted trip to Orlais but for your absence,  _ mi amore _ ,” she grumbled to Herah, reaching for her wine glass. 

Cullen considered the question. He and Herah had spoken briefly about his and Josephine’s… affair, but not to any length or clarity. “To be honest, I don’t know. I wouldn’t even know where to begin, if I did, my - Herah.” Cullen looked up again to meet her gaze, to be rewarded with another easy smile that reminded him just why most of the people she knew adored her from first glance. 

_ Maker’s breath, _ he thought to himself, his chest warming without his consent. She was lovely, to be sure; her black hair tumbled freely down her shoulders, green eyes aglow with some inner fire and set above high cheekbones. Her lips were full, lush, and had been, if he was quite honest, the subject of a number of recent dreams. Between her physical beauty and her innate wisdom and strength, she was a partner to be treasured. He retrieved his hand from hers to find his wine glass, hoping the drink would distract from his nerves. 

“Among the Qunari, there is not much use for monogamy,” Herah stated, raising her goblet to her lips and taking a deep draw. “My parents abandoned the Qun but I suppose that tenet could not be so easily forgotten, as most of the Tal-Vashoth I grew up with felt the same toward the practice. Open relationships, or those with multiple partners, were both more frequent than coupled pairs in my village.”

Heat grew along his neck at her words and he feared he burned hotter than the nearby fire. 

“I’ve never been too fond of the idea, myself,” Josephine murmured thoughtfully. “Of monogamy, that is, not of more rebellious formations. It’s a custom, though, and seen as necessary for secession and such across many, if not all countries of Thedas. Still,” she mused, toying with her goblet, “it doesn’t rule out love matches made before engagements and inheritances must be secured.”

A strangled noise rushed from Cullen’s throat. 

“More wine?” Herah asked sweetly.

“Please,” he begged, watching her fill the goblet once more. He took a slow pull from the glass, stalling to ease his thoughts, watching the two women over its rim. Cullen observed as Herah rubbed small circles into Josephine’s hand with her thumb, the motion gentle and calming even to see. Setting down his glass, he carefully took a small helping of fruit from the tray before him, following Josephine’s lead as she did the same. It was a companionable silence that fell between the three of them, neither rushing to interrupt the others as they ate and thought amongst themselves. 

“I’ve heard of such arrangements,” he admitted after some time. “I always wondered about them. They seem so… indulgent.” 

“Love is the Maker’s greatest gift,” Josephine intoned respectfully before popping a grape into her mouth. 

“And even Andraste Herself had two husbands,” Herah chuckled. “If we all are to strive to be as worthy as She, as the Chant teaches, who are we to deny such love?”

He considered her words carefully, studying her face. “Is that what this is?” he asked incredulously. 

Herah shrugged. “Affection, at the very least. You are a good man, Cullen,” she said softly, intently, and he felt the air grow hot around him. “Not only are you strong and capable, but you are kind and compassionate to others, even when… even when one would think your experiences would urge you to act otherwise.” 

“Herah…”

Josephine followed. “You have a quick wit and passionate temper, always striving for the right decision - to take the appropriate path, to blaze the right trail, to do the best for us all. You are, simply said, an astounding man. And, let us not forget,” she added with a lascivious smile, “you are  _ quite _ beautiful.” 

Cullen laughed in spite of himself, the sudden action dispelling the nerves that had coiled in his belly and loosening the tense muscles of his shoulders. He smiled easily at the two women before him who looked intently at him, all smiles and openness. “Thank you,” he said quietly after a moment, “for your kind words.” His hand crept to his neck, rubbing the skin there without a thought. 

“Did you know today is Heart’s Day, Cullen?” Josephine asked playfully. “We have gifts for you, if you’ll accept them.” She pushed the box she had retrieved to him. “You don’t have to consider this as something from a lover if you aren’t comfortable with that. From a friend, at the very least.”

He accepted the box, wrapped in blue paper and ribbon, and slowly worked to unwrap it. Inside were nestled a pair of thick black gloves of supple leather, a delicate sheen cascading over their surface as he lifted them from the box. They fit  _ perfectly, _ as if made for him and him alone, and moved easily with his fingers, their long cuffs reaching just past the middle of his forearms. 

“I saw that your vambraces had worn through your last pair,” Josephine explained, watching his face as he stared at the craftsmanship of their creation. 

“I… Josephine, thank you.” He met her eyes and she grinned, bringing a small smile to his own lips. “These are so beautiful, I don’t know quite how to react.” 

He could see the sheen of tears in her eyes. “I hope they serve you well,” she replied. 

“Unfortunately I have nothing to give you at the moment, but you’ll find it in your room,” Herah said. He met her eyes, brow furrowing in alarm at the implications of her words. “Nothing like that!” She laughed, resting her chin in her hand on the table top. “I know you have fought against patching the final hole in the roof of your office, but I have seen for myself that it leaks right over your bed when it rains. I had Gatsi the stonemason work with the renovations crew to get you a piece of glass for the roof, and they installed today while you were traipsing down the mountain. It even opens like a window, if you so chose to do so. You said once that the sky gives you comfort, so I wanted to ensure your health and safety while preserving the view.”

Cullen’s heart stopped in his chest. “I said that  _ weeks _ ago.” His mind raced. The stars reminded him that he was  _ here, _ in this life, not trapped in Kinloch, not waging war in Kirkwall. That he was safe. He didn’t mind the rain so much as the fear of the entrapment of his walls, of the darkness pressing in with his having nowhere to turn. He had fought, almost  _ raged _ against building over it - he didn’t know what taking away that escape would do to him. 

Herah nodded, holding his eyes. “And I listened,” she said softly. She reached out across the table for him once more, hand open in invitation. “You don’t have to take this as a gift from a lover, either, Cullen. You are dear to me, as a friend, and I value that. I don’t mean to pressure you into anything, just to give you my appreciation. Plus, I’ve seen how you act when you have a cold. You are a terrible patient.”

He gazed down at her fingers, their beckoning all the more meaningful now. Slowly he fit their fingers together, twining easily, if trepidatiously, against each other. He stared at the sight of their interlocked fingers for a long moment.

“You are two of my favorite people,” Josephine murmured reverently, laying her hands on each of their wrists. “If whatever we make together goes no further than this, I am still so happy to have you both in my life. In all the ways we are matched, in friendship or in love, I consider myself lucky to have you two at my side.” She beamed smiles at both of them before standing, moving to stoke the fire. 

“Herah,” Cullen began, but he didn’t know what to say. His eyes lingered on their clasped hands before moving to her face. “May I kiss you?” 

She smiled. “Please do.”

He stood from his chair and approached her, watching as she straightened from her seat with a casual grace that belied her chest wound. They were very nearly of the same height, with her being perhaps an inch or two taller, he noticed not for the first time. He stripped from the gloves and placed them on the table before reaching his hands to cup her cheeks, thumbs ghosting over her skin cautiously. Cullen felt her own hands reach for him, one molding over his jaw and caressing the slight stubble there and the other at his shoulder. Slowly, carefully, he pressed his lips to hers in a curious kiss. 

Her mouth was soft and warm beneath his own and he traced the shape of her lips with his kisses, feeling a heady rush of  _ something _ race through his body at the touch. She opened to him easily as he teased the seam of her lips with his tongue, allowing him to explore her further. She was… divine, he thought. Curious and new and delicious, and he knew he could spend hours taking his time with her. With a startled thought, he knew he  _ would. _

Cullen broke the kiss slowly, softly, pressing their brows together. His heart raced as she traced the line of his jaw with her fingers, her thumb skimming lightly over the scar that ran across his lip. “Thank you,” he whispered, for he had no other words. 

“You’re welcome,” she replied breathlessly. 

A soft hand skimmed over his arms, fingers playing in the fabric of his tunic. “And may I kiss you, dear commander?” Josephine asked, her breath hot on his ear. 

He stepped from Herah’s embrace slightly to face the other woman, backlight against the fire. Without hesitation she pressed herself to him, capturing his lips with her own. Cullen felt her fingers clench in the fabric of his tunic to keep him to her and he made no motions to break their contact. 

His heart raced as he felt Herah’s breath against his ear. 

“If this is something you want, Cullen, we want to explore this with you,” she whispered, her hand roaming over his shoulders. 

Cullen groaned against Josephine’s mouth, his mind’s eye clouding with visions of tangled limbs and flushed, sweaty skin. He moved from her kiss with a ragged breath but did not leave her arms, instead reaching his arm to pull Herah into their embrace. “Yes,” he said quietly, his heart lighter than it had been since they arrived at Skyhold. A small laugh bubbled from him as they set small, searching kisses over his skin, teasing but soft all the same. 

He didn’t know what he expected when he prayed for guidance in the war room, but it certainly wasn’t this.  _ Perhaps Andraste showed me the way, instead, _ he thought, caught between these two incredible women.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please feel free to comment or leave kudos, if you feel so inclined. I can also be reached and interacted with on my Tumblr, [Ocean-in-my-Rebel-Soul](https://ocean-in-my-rebel-soul.tumblr.com/)!


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